Nissan Invents LEAF EV that Glows in the Dark [VIDEO]

Nissan has just released a very interesting video showing the first car to have to glow-in-the-dark paint scheme. By doing this, the company writes history, being the first manufacturer to partner with similarly innovative inventor, Hamish Scott, to create paint that uses UV energy absorbed during daylight to glow at night. And of course the model to apply this new "color"-approach is the all-electric LEAF.

Hamish Scott is creator of STARPATH. This is a spray-applied coating that absorbs UV energy during the day. When the night falls, the absorbed energy glows for between eight and 10 hours.

The Japanese company not only offers glowing car paint, but also glow-in-the-dark car wraps, both made up of entirely organic materials. Precisely, the Scott used very rare natural earth product called Strontium Aluminate. It is solid, odorless and chemically and biologically inert.

Another very interesting fact about this paint is that if it is made commercially available, it would last for 25 years. Nissan LEAF owners have reported significant savings and are using the saved money for example for solar panels for their homes. This in turn decreases the household carbon footprint and means owners are also effectively charging their vehicle for free.

According to a recent research, 89% of LEAF owners charge their cars at home overnight. And here is the deal: solar panels do not store energy or provide it outside of daylight, but any leftover power which is generated during the day is fed back into the national grid. Homeowners then can get a Government payment for it, which simply means that the overnight charge is already paid for.

One of these lucky LEAF owners is Ian Finch. He has combined the savings offered by running an all-electric vehicle with solar panels to power his home. Here is a fascinating interview with him on LEAF charging using solar energy: